Minnesota Wild restricted free agent (RFA) Marco Rossi is still seeking a new contract. Michael Russo of The Athletic went on the Worst Seats in the House podcast and reported that the two sides have not negotiated Rossi’s contract extension since the beginning of free agency. The two sides remain $2 million apart, with all signs indicating they are not close to a new contract.
Rossi is looking for a seven-year deal worth $7 million per season, while GM Bill Guerin and the Wild have offered him a five-year contract worth $5 million per season. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Rossi was not only upset about being used on the fourth line in the playoffs, but he’d also like to be a team’s top-line center. However, the Wild are making a mistake by not signing him to a long-term deal.
Rossi’s Breakout
Rossi is coming off a career season in which he recorded career-highs in goals (24), assists (36), and points (60) in 82 games. He showed significant growth in both his offensive and defensive game, and thrived in a second-line center role for most of the season.
While Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek missed time simultaneously during the second half of the season, Rossi played first-line minutes, recording nine points in the 21 games while Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were both out, and he added another two points when Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were both inserted back into the lineup in a 8-7 overtime win vs the San Jose Sharks.
Rossi is still developing his all-around game. Many projections have his ceiling capped as a second-line center, but he can be a first-line center with the right opportunity, and his underlying analytics back it up. Last season, Rossi showed that he is capable of becoming one of the better two-way forwards in the league. According to Evolving Hockey, he ranked in the 87th percentile in offense and the 71st percentile in defense. His even-strength offense goals above replacement (GAR) was just above nine, while his expected goals above replacement (xGAR) was just above nine as well. If you include his even-strength defense and power-play offense, he was above zero in both GAR and xGAR in those areas.
Compared to his counterpart, Matt Boldy, Rossi blew him out of the water. Boldy only ranked in the 46th percentile in offense and 65th in defense with a mix of GAR and xGAR above and below zero. However, Boldy produced 73 points in 82 games, surpassing his career high of 69 points set in 2023-2024.
Related: Wild’s Boldy & Faber Invited to Team USA’s Olympic Orientation Camp
Rossi is very important to the Wild. During that tough stretch of games when Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were out, Rossi helped the Wild stay afloat (From ‘As Wild’s tough stretch continues, urgency is setting in: Takeaways’ – The Athletic, 3/1/2025). He also significantly improves the team’s center depth, as he is capable of producing at a high level on the second line. He turns 24 on Sept. 23 and will only get better. If the Wild play their cards right, he could become part of the Big Three in Minnesota, alongside Kaprizov and Boldy.
Risk of Not Signing Rossi Long-Term
According to Russo, after the Wild’s first contract offer of five years was rejected, they offered him a bridge deal at less than $5 million per season. Rossi rejected that as well. The Wild are firm in offering him a contract ranging from two to five years. If Guerin sticks to his guns on a shorter term, he’ll likely owe Rossi a few million more when his contract expires. With the salary cap slated to continue going up, who knows how much money Rossi will be able to ask for when his next deal is up?
If negotiations continue into training camp, which is pretty likely this late in the offseason, then the result could be a short-term deal. But if Rossi develops into the player they drafted him to be, they will be kicking themselves for not locking him up long-term. The team is taking many risks by not offering more than five years, including the possibility of creating a rift between Rossi and management.
Cap Space and the Wild Core
The Wild have $14 million in cap space, and Rossi is the only player who still needs a contract before the season. The team has plenty of flexibility to sign him to a $7 million deal. Kaprizov is due for a contract extension after this season, when he will become a UFA, but his next contract is expected to be around $14-$15 million per season, which is reasonable for a player of his caliber.
Even if the Wild re-sign Mats Zuccarello – also a UFA after this season – to a contract similar to the one he has now, and they get Kaprizov signed at $15 million per season and Rossi at $7 million per season, the organization would still have $5 million in cap space heading into 2026-2027.
Michael Russo: Re Kirill Kaprizov extension: I think the Wild, financially they're not far apart, I think though, there's some stuff that…has been lost in translation this offseason; Guerin is waiting for him to get back to Minnesota – DFO Rundown (8/13)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) August 17, 2025
Minnesota has an aging core. Zuccarello is 37 years old, Ryan Hartman is 30, Jared Spurgeon is 35, Jake Middleton is 29, and even Kaprizov is 28. Time is running out to be a contender in the Western Conference. With teams like the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Colorado Avalanche all very competitive, the Wild must keep players like Rossi around long-term if they want to stay competitive.
The Wild have prospects Riley Heidt, Liam Ohgren, and David Jiricek coming up, and defenseman Zeev Buium, who made his NHL debut in the playoffs last season. The team has young players ready to take over for the veterans. Locking up Rossi and Kaprizov long-term, and with Boldy/Brock Faber on long-term deals as well, then add in their top prospects, plus goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, and the Wild could be competitive for the next five-plus seasons.
Bill Guerin Cannot Mess This Up
Guerin has complete control over whether the Wild remain a playoff contender over the next few seasons or start to fizzle out. The priorities have to be signing Rossi and extending Kaprizov. If he completes those two tasks, he will set the Wild up well for the future, making Rossi part of the team’s core for the next decade. It would be a big mistake if they fail to sign him on a long-term deal, and they will pay for it.
Do you want Guerin to sign Rossi to a long-term deal?
